Cassia County Highpoint Trip Report

Cache Peak

Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Edward Earl

I originally intended to follow Ken Jones's trip report describing a western approach from Oakley but a bridge construction closure forced me to take an eastern approach from Almo. If one were "passing through", s/he could approach on one route and depart on the other route.

On I-84, I took exit 216 near Rupert and followed ID-77 south. After 22 miles, I arrived at a T-junction where a left turn would continue on ID-77 to Malta and a right turn, which I took, goes on an unnumbered highway to Elba and Almo. This point could also be reached by taking exit 245 off of I-84 and heading west to Malta where ID-77 begins. It is 15 miles from here to Almo. About a mile south of Almo, the pavement ends at a three-way junction. I turned right (west) toward the City of Rocks and noted my odometer here.

At 3.5 miles, the road made a sharp left at Treasure Rock.
At 4.0 miles, I turned right at a large oblique triangle intersection with many signs
                    to various destinations, most of which were numbered campsites.
At 8.0 miles, I turned right toward the Sawtooth National Forest. This is the 14.6 mile point in Ken's report.

At 10.0 miles, enter the Sawtooth National Forest.
At 10.9 miles, cattle guard.
At 11.6 miles, information center. Right turn would go to Graham Peak, left turn goes to Cache.
At 12.3 miles, signed turnoff to Logger Spring. Continue straight.
At 13.7 miles, high, wide center would be a challenge for a vehicle without high clearance but it could probably be coaxed.

At 14.8 miles, sharp right turn at cattle guard and fence. Beyond this point, the road becomes rocky and a vehicle without high clearance will probably have to stop. I made it only 0.3 mile farther in my high-clearance 2WD Nissan truck, where I encountered some rocks and a gate. I decided not to risk it any more and parked here.

I hiked the road past the summit of peak 8858 and down to the saddle at ~8540 feet where Ken parked. A large USFS sign prohibits vehicle travel beyond this point. An old jeep track continues to just before point 9401, which is a rock outcrop similar to those that characterize the City of Rocks. A trail heads left from a decaying fence at the end of the jeep track. I followed it for a few minutes, then opted to climb straight up the open sagebrush hillside to the summit ridge of Cache Peak. The last 250 feet of elevation before the summit is a mosaic of boulders and ground-hugging evergreens that frequently impedes travel.